Need help looking for a job? Tired of hearing silence when you apply on-line? RightChanges Job Search Coach offers tips on how to find a job in this market and how to stand out from your competition. These tips apply whether you are unemployed, misemployed, new graduate, or re-entering the job market.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

An interesting statistic from a poll taken of recruiting and hiring managers stated that 75% of the people who review resumes said they read cover letters ONLY if they know the cover letter has been customized for the company and the position.

At RightChanges, we have two ALWAYS statements regarding the job search and one is to ALWAYS send a cover letter. Successful Job Search Coach Judi Adams recommends one cover format over any other. The format we recommend is the T cover letter.

What is a T Cover Letter?

The T cover letter gets its name from the imaginary T that is formed by the two columns in the middle of the single page letter. The left column is the list of requirements as outlined by the hiring company and the second column is the qualifications you have that match the requirements. With this format you are visually showing the hiring manager why you are the perfect candidate. How powerful is that?

IMPORTANT OFFER:

The remaining portion of this article gives the steps to creating the T cover letter. Some job seekers however still struggle with creating it: how to select the requirements and qualifications to include or how to use Word to format it. RightChanges has just launched an instructional 3-part video on The Most Powerful Cover Letter including a "live" demonstration using an actual job description. See details at the end of this article.

The Format

We know the most important section of the cover letter (the T) and there are other sections of this single page letter as well.

Letterhead

The top of the cover letter should have the same format and information you have on your resume. This is your letterhead and gives a professional look to your materials. This same letterhead should be used on all job search correspondences. Consider it your own custom stationery.

Address

You should address the letter to the name of the hiring manager if it is provided. You may be able to get this name through networking. If you absolutely do not know the person’s name, do not address the letter to Dear Sir. I am a female hiring manager and that won no points with me. I like "Dear Hiring Authority" when the name is not known.

Opening Paragraph

The opening paragraph should mention the position you are applying for, include the position number if one was listed, and how you heard about the position. If you did it correctly, you networked into the position and can mention the person’s name who told you about the position or to contact that person.

Brag Phrase

Brag phrase is our name for the section that appears before the T . This phrase (one sentence) should affirm that your experience and abilities seem to be a great match for the position and serve as a transition to the T portion of the letter.

The T

The T consists of two columns with the respective titles of Your Requirements and My Qualifications or something equivalent.

Each requirement should be a separate row. The bulleted items in the right column should line up to the point it corresponds to in the left column.If you have more qualifications for a particular requirement, it is fine to have white space on the left before the next bullet. An important reminder is to keep the text as concise as possible.

We are often asked what about how to handle requirements where you do not have the matching qualifications. The answer is not to list those. The hiring manager’s list is like a kid’s Santa list during the Christmas holiday. No child believes they are going to receive everything on the list, it is the items they would like to have.Hiring managers list all of the skills and experience they would like to have. Even some requirements listed as mandatory will be overlooked when they find a great candidate.

Closing

The deal isn’t a deal until it is closed. Consider using a statement regarding how you look forward to hearing from them to discuss their needs and your experience in further detail..

Tip

To get your cover letter in front of the hiring manager and read, add the letter to the front of the resume in the same file. Do not have a separate file for the resume. Many hiring managers will believe a separate cover letter is the same old blah blah blah cover letter and not even open it. Plus having the cover letter as the first page of the resume will allow electronic resume scanners to find the keywords of the requirements.

Walk the hiring manager through why you are the perfect candidate by using the most powerful cover letter format: the one page T cover letter.

The Most Powerful Cover Letter instructional video:RightChanges has just launched a series of On Demand videos on key topics of the job search. These videos can be found at RightChanges Job Search Success Videos.

Many job seekers think that the holidays are a bad time to find a job so they back off on their search efforts; that is a myth. There are actually three reasons that the holidays are a great time to start or continue the search.

Reason One – Companies are Still Hiring – Even More So

A poll reveals that 69% of recruiters report hiring as many, if not more people in the month of December than any other month. Why? Well, December marks the end of one budget year and the beginning of another for many companies.

Have you heard the expression “use it or lose it” when it comes to company budgets? Managers do not want to lose a headcount because they haven’t filled it before the end of the year, so they are hiring now to fill those seats.

Next, companies are ramping up hiring to have people in seats at the beginning of the year. Hiring managers want to fill positions as soon as possible to help with the immense workload and to keep from losing an unfilled position should the company decide to have a hiring freeze if budgets are adjusted down.

And, in order to reduce tax liabilities, companies want to book expenses within the calendar year and that includes expenses related to hiring.

These are just a few of the reasons companies still hire over the holidays.

Reason Two - You Have Things to Do First to be Successful

The process of searching for a job is actually step 4 of a successful search*. Quoting Coach Wooden, “When opportunity knocks, it’s too late to prepare.” Be ready before opportunity knocks on your door. Be sure you have addressed the first three steps and have all of your marketing materials ready to go.

Step 1 is Attitude. There are two aspects to having the right attitude. The first aspect of attitude is understanding and accepting that the job market has changed. If you believe, “I have found a job before, I can do it again” without understanding what you need to do differently, then you will have a very hard time finding a job.

The job market has changed; the resume formats have changed, in fact the resume is the 6th most used piece of marketing materials (meaning there are 5 others used as often if not more so). The methods to look for a job have changed. Are you mistakenly relying too much on on-line applications? Take this time to understand the new job market and revise your approach.

The second aspect of having a good attitude is giving yourself time and permission to process the loss or fear so it does not negatively impact your body language, word choice, or the energy you need to do the job search. Don’t think you can fake it. Your micro gestures can’t be faked and that is the reason lie detectors work so well and psychics can conduct cold readings. Like leftovers in a refrigerator, emotions do not get better with time. Take them out and deal with them now.

Step 2 is Aptitude and that means knowing your product – YOU. You need to be able to give a powerful, concise answer to the question “Why should we hire you over your competition?” When asked “what are your strengths” do not give the blah blah blah answer by saying “I’m detailed oriented, I’m a people person, I’m a quick study, I’m organized, I’m a hard-worker…” That is the answer too many interviewees give because they think that is what hiring authorities want to hear – it isn’t. They want to know your real strengths.

Your search will be more successful and take a shorter amount of time if you identify and document your prior accomplishments (STARs), identify your real strengths, and developed a personal brand. Be sure you know your product and how you are unique from your competition.

Step 3 is Altitude which means identifying the specific job title you are pursuing and developing your resume based upon the criteria companies are looking. Then identify and target a list of 5-10 companies you REALLY want to work for. Having a target company list does not mean you wouldn’t take a job with another company. Less successful job seekers take the passive approach, waiting for companies to post positions. Instead proactively work to get a job with your target companies. Read RightChanges’ comprehensive article Why and How to Work a Target Company List.

These three steps must be completed before updating your marketing materials. Also, remember that your resume is the 6th most used piece of marketing materials. Know what other items of marketing materials you need as much if not more than a resume and how and when to use them.

Reason Three - Less competition.

While others are stepping back in their search, step forward.

You have probably seen the skit in cartoons where a troop is standing in a line and the drill sergeant asks for someone to volunteer for a dangerous mission by stepping forward. All of the members of the troop, except one, step back making it look like the one guy stepped forward. In that case it is not good to be the one who is left standing in front. But in the job search, you want to be the one who is stepping up. When others are missing out on opportunities, be the one who is there when opportunity knocks.

Other Tips

In this competitive market, every little trick helps. RightChangesJobSearchCoach.blogspot.com will give a tip for job seekers each week.
Name Badge
Use an experienced salesperson’s tip. Wear your name tag on the right so your name is in the line of sight of the people you shake hands with, making it easier for them to remember your name.

Body LanguageExcuse me - What did your body language say again? Over 80% of communication is non verbal. It is essential for you to know how to read your contact’s and interviewer’s body language so you can judge the effect of what you are saying verbally. It is also essential for you to control your own body language. The following are some brief tips.

1) Leaning forward shows interest.
2) Eye contact establishes trust with the other person.
3) Do not cross anything (arms, legs, etc.). Crossing indicates you are closed to or guarding against the person or what is being said.
4) Keep your hands within sight to show you are not hiding anything. Did you know that shaking hands started as a way to show you are not carrying a weapon?

Read more on body language and see if you may be saying one thing and your body another. The library, the web, and discount bookstores have a lot on this topic.

Do Something for Yourself

You are looking for a job so money is tight or you are budgeting more closely than ever before. This tip may seem counterintuitive but it is worth every penny. The tip: Do something for yourself that would make you proud! Whether it is to lose weight, take classes, splurge on a new interview suit or jacket, get a new hair cut or color the grey, or get new more contemporary glasses, just do it! Your self confidence level will increase. You may even meet a great networking connection that way.

This does not need to cost a lot. There are less expensive, money saving options too.

Classes: The state has programs that will cover the cost of training. Some colleges let people audit classes for free and there are links for free on-line courses. Libraries and other organizations offer seminars. During an interview, when you are asked what you have been doing since you were laid off, they will see that you have continued to develop yourself and expand your interests.

Instead of the gym: If you want to lose weight but cannot afford a gym membership, then walk the mall 1 hour non-stop several times a week. You don’t have to be an early riser either; you can find mall walkers at all hours. Check with your favorite malls. In some malls, the anchor stores close later than the other stores, so you can walk the mall without the crowds.

Eyeglasses: Several eye glass stores have "two for one" specials. Go in halves with someone on the cost.

New Interview Suit or jacket: Now is the time to shop. The stores are already marking down clothes for the new season. Watch the paper for additional discounts and coupons. Go on the web and see if the store has on-line coupons available there. You would be amazed at the savings.

You don't need to spend a lot but do something just for you that you are proud of and enjoy it!

Read Who Moved My Chesse and the Prayer of JabezCheese and Jabez: Change is hard and being on the job market is one of the most stressful changes in a person’s life. RightChanges asks every client to (re)read Who Moved My Cheese. It can be read in less than one hour and has a great message on accepting change.

Another recommended book is the Prayer of Jabez. It is based on a single verse in the Bible and reminds us that God has a storehouse of blessings for us; we just have to ask. Check these out at your local library.